Then it's all Gone
He had always hated Nibelheim.
It was too quiet for his liking. Everyone knew everyone else. They knew your business, your lifestyle, even what time you went to the bathroom. Only being visitors to the village made no difference, in fact it made it worse. All the villagers poking their noses, excited at the fact that there'd be new gossip floating around.
Vincent fingered the trigger of the gun hanging in his holster. Yes he had always hated towns like Nibelheim. Cities were much easier to hide in.
He walked slowly behind the three scientists, a few Shinra blues lagging behind him. He came to a stop as the two men and the woman came to a halt in front of him. Vincent took the time to look at the mansion. It was Shinra owned, surprise surprise, easily the largest house in the village. It looked as though it had been renovated recently, probably for the arrival of the scientists since no one lived the Shinra mansion. Cast iron gates, a huge, heavy oak door, engraved with the Shinra logo. Ivy grew up the sides of the walls, green in colour, with white edges. It was a pretty building overall, but not the most ideal place Vincent could think of to spend at least three months.
Three months of nothing but bodyguard duty. Vincent decided life couldn't get any worse even if he wanted it to.
"It's pretty," the beautiful voice of Lucrecia drifted to his ears. He gave her a quick glance before turning his gaze back to the building.
"Quite," Gast murmured. Hojo just 'hmphed' under his breath and entered the house. Gast looked quite amused at the way Hojo acted. With a shake of his head, he followed him into the house, leaving Lucrecia standing outside, Vincent stood behind her.
Lucrecia turned to him. "Don't you think it looks pretty?"
Vincent looked at the woman for a few minutes. "Yes," he finally answered. /I was not just talking about the house either./
Lucrecia smiled and adjusted her glasses a little. She then picked up her suitcase and walked steadily through the open door. Vincent gave the guards, who were now stood at either side of the Iron Gate, one last look then entered the house himself.
He watched as Lucrecia gave the house a quick look over, doing a slow spin on the spot. Vincent found himself staring at her yet again. Her chestnut brown hair swayed slightly as she moved around. Her dark green eyes took in every aspect of the mansion. She had a gleeful smile on her face, like a child that had gotten exactly what she wanted for Christmas.
He couldn't help but think how beautiful she was. She had an air of gentleness around her, a woman who didn't realise how pretty she was. /And she's Hojo's,/ Vincent thought a little bitterly. Well, they weren't engaged or anything, just together. It gave Vincent that tiny bit of hope that she one day might leave Hojo for him. Pity that she didn't even know that Vincent felt this way about her. How could he tell her?
Vincent let out what felt like the fiftieth sigh that day. /Face it Vincent, she will never be yours./
As if on cue, she looked at him with another one of her smiles. "It's just as beautiful on the inside."
/Just like you./ "It is indeed," Vincent replied.
Lucrecia took a step towards him. "You don't look like you mean it," she told him.
Vincent involuntarily took a step back. Lucrecia gave him a puzzled look. Vincent stood stock still. "I did mean it, it is just hard to mean something when you don't want to be here," he explained to her.
She smiled. "Don't blame you. If I was a Turk I wouldn't want to be guarding a bunch of scientists."
Vincent cracked a small smile. "I'm glad you see it my way."
"I'll just have to make it more fun for you," Lucrecia said with a giggle in her voice.
"Fun?" Vincent questioned.
Lucrecia nodded. "Yes fun." She looked towards the elegant staircase for a moment then back at Vincent. "But for now I have to go. Meet me here at ten tonight." With another smile, she left the Turk with his mouth hanging open at the bottom of the stairs. Was it just him, or was she flirting with him just then?
He decided to think about it no longer and set about doing his job, which required him to stand at the bottom of the staircase. At least the job didn't feel as tedious as it did five minutes ago.
/Lucrecia, she's confusing sometimes. You never know what to think around her. Sometimes you can understand her completely, others she seems so far away. I wonder if that's why she makes a good scientist?
I can't help but find her beautiful. She's perfect in every way. I don't want to feel like this, because she can never be mine. No matter what she says or does, she belongs to him, not me.
No one could ever love a Turk. We're murdering, low down bastards. We aren't supposed to care for anyone, never mind love someone. It didn't even look like she cared about that earlier. It's not a secret what the Turks are and do.
Whatever she wants, she can have. I only want to make her happy./
She came back down the stairs at ten O'clock, minus the white coat she was wearing the last time Vincent saw her. She didn't know why she had offered to take Vincent out, she just felt compelled to. She couldn't stand to see a man as handsome as him bored out of his mind. Did she just say handsome?
Lucrecia looked around the hall way. Vincent was no where to be found. She let out a disappointed sigh. She shouldn't feel this disappointed should she? It was just two people going out to stop themselves from dying from ultimate boredom. There was only so much science Lucrecia could take in one day.
A few minutes later, Vincent turned up, still dressed in his Turk uniform. She smiled at him as he walked towards her. /He's here...../
"I apologise for being late," he said as he automatically took her small hand in his own and placed a delicate kiss on the back of it.
"I was beginning to think you weren't coming," she told him.
"I doubt you'd be that disappointed if I didn't," he replied to her.
Her face faulted for a slight second, but Vincent never picked it up. /Does he really think that?/ "Of course I'd be disappointed. I've looking forward to this all day," she said forcing a smile, that became easier to do the more she looked at the Turk.
"Really?" he asked a little surprised.
"Really."
"Then may I escort this beautiful lady around town?"
She blushed a little. "You may." With that, Lucrecia grabbed hold of Vincent's arm and dragged him out the mansion.
All the time the two were talking, Hojo was watching from the top of the staircase. His fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles were pure white. With a swish of his lab coat, he walked back towards the basement laboratory. The Turk wouldn't have her, he'd make sure of that.
Nibelheim at night was as quiet as a town could get. One by one the lights of the small wooden houses died out. The sound of water trickling in the well echoed around the quiet streets. The moonlight shone on the little town, bathing it in a silvery glow.
Two people sat against the well in the center of the town. The gentle laughter of a woman drifted through the air.
"You didn't really do that right?" she asked the man sat to her left.
"Regrettably yes. It's not something I like to remember," Vincent told her.
"No kidding. You really dressed up as a moogle?"
"No need to keep reminding me," Vincent sulked a little.
Lucrecia laughed again. "I'm sorry. It's just that I keep picturing it and-" She launched into a fit of laughter again.
Vincent cracked a small smile. "I'm glad you find it funny."
"I just can't imagine you dressed as a moogle."
"Think white fur, red pom-pom, sickeningly cute smile."
Lucrecia just laughed louder. "Moogles don't have sickeningly cute smiles, just cute ones."
"Anything cute is sickeningly," Vincent told her.
"Everything?" she asked.
Vincent nodded. "Everything."
"What if you found me cute? Would I be sickeningly cute?" she asked before she knew what she was doing and tried to fight down the blush she felt growing on her cheeks.
"I don't find you cute though," he told her. Lucrecia's face fell a little and she looked at the floor. She felt a finger push her chin back up. Vincent looked her straight in the eyes. "I find you beautiful."
This time the blush did rise to her cheeks. She tried to look away, but Vincent finger wouldn't let her. "No one has ever said that to me," she murmured. /Not even Hojo./
"No one?" Vincent asked disbelievingly. /Hojo doesn't deserve her./ "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
Lucrecia smiled faintly, turning her gaze to the floor. "Vincent.."
"Shush, I know."
Lucrecia shook her head. "You don't know. I can't do..." she trailed off. The more she looked at Vincent, the more she wanted to kiss him. No, she couldn't because she had Hojo, but did Hojo really deserve her? She was torn between two men.
Vincent let his finger drop from her chin. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry." /He needs me more than Hojo does./ Without another word, she placed her lips gently on his. And there they kissed, oblivious to everything around them. It was a kiss of desperation, as if they knew they wouldn't be together forever.
Lucrecia pulled away first, her breath a little heavier than before. Her cheeks were slightly flushed. She looked around the town to see if anyone was looking at them. There was no one she could see. She looked back at Vincent and smiled.
"Thank you," she said to him.
It made him smile. "You don't have to thank me."
"How about I kiss you to thank you?" She never gave Vincent time to answer her before she planted her lips on his, kissing him with urgency. It was a long time before they moved away from the well.
Lucrecia slipped back into her room a few hours later, a smile gracing her pretty face. She hadn't had fun like she had with Vincent in a long while. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't shift the smile from her face. Not that she'd want to of course.
She flipped on the light switch and jumped at the sight of Hojo, who was sitting patiently on her bed, one leg crossed over the other.
Her heart jumped into her throat. Did he see her earlier? There was no other reason for him to be sat on her bed waiting for her. She dropped her jacket on the chair that was near the door, her eyes never leaving the other scientist.
"Aren't you going to ask me why I'm here?" he asked.
Lucrecia swallowed the lump in her throat and decided to go along with what he asked. "Why are you here?"
Hojo let out a bitter laugh and turned his gaze towards the window. "I saw you going out earlier, with the Turk." He looked back at her. "Are you going to tell me why?"
Lucrecia sat herself down on the chair beside the door. "I was just showing him-"
Hojo interrupted her. "Are you telling me it was just an innocent walk around town?" he asked with a sneer.
"Don't you trust me?" she asked, a little hurt at his reaction.
"I saw the way you was looking at him. Don't play games with me, you'll regret it."
"Are you threatening me?" Lucrecia asked, her voice wavering a little.
"Call it friendly warning. You wouldn't want anything to happen to your darling Turk, would you?" Hojo said as he stood up from the bed.
"What would you-"
"So you do care for him?" he cut her off again.
Lucrecia didn't answer him, she just turned her gaze to the floor.
Hojo walked over to her and bent his knees to lower himself to her eye level. He lifted her chin up with his hand, in much the same manner Vincent did earlier that night. "You didn't forget our little agreement, did you?"
How could she forget? Earlier that day, Hojo had asked her if she'd do anything for the Jenova Project, which she immediately answered yes to, and regretted it. Hojo wanted to use Jenova cells on an unborn baby, one that she would bear. Not wanting to make him angry or frustrated, she had said yes within a matter of minutes. The look on his face after she agreed, made her think maybe it was worth it. That was until she went out with Vincent and found herself enjoying his company more than Hojo's.
"No," she answered shakily.
"You wouldn't back out of it now, would you?" he said with a sickening tone. Lucrecia nearly shuddered, but stopped herself.
"No," she answered again.
"And you wouldn't want Vincent to get hurt, would you?"
To this she just shook her head, not trusting her voice any longer.
"Me being a scientist and all, I could find some pretty nasty chemicals to inject into him."
She couldn't believe he was threatening her! She found herself cursing the day she ever met Hojo. "I'll stay away from him if that's what you want," she said slowly. She couldn't believe she was agreeing with him. /Anything for Vincent. Even if it means never speaking to him again to protect him./
"Good," Hojo said with a sly smile. He placed a few firm kisses along Lucrecia neck. She faked a blissful sigh, just to make him happy. All the time thinking of Vincent. Could she even live with her decision to stay away from him? She allowed herself to be led over to her bed, to be pushed down onto it, allowed his hands to roam her body. /To stop Vincent from getting hurt,/ she told herself. She was kidding herself. He would get hurt either way. /I'm sorry Vincent...../
The morning came along and Vincent found himself stood in the hallway like he was the day before. In a much better mood than when he had arrived at the mansion. He began quietly thinking about the night before. Lucrecia's smile, the words she said to him, her sweet caress. It was almost as if it was a passing dream, it felt so unreal to him at the time. Too good to be true.
But it had happened. There was no way her touch, their kisses, the feeling she gave him weren't real. They were all as clear as day, not even a dream could achieve something as clear as that.
It made him happy that she at least returned some of the feelings he felt. In fact, he couldn't remember feelings this happy in a long time. Though something at the back of mind was telling him it couldn't last. He ignored it. They say ignorance is bliss after all.
He couldn't wait to see her again, watching the minutes of the day slowly pass by.
He didn't see her that day.
The next day was the same as the first. He longed for her touch once more. He didn't see her once.
The similar thing happened for the next five days straight. He saw neither hide nor tail of the beautiful woman. Maybe it was a passing dream after all. /No!/ Vincent told himself, /it can't be......... maybe it was./
He finally saw her on the sixth day, but as soon as she saw him she turned in the opposite direction and fled. Was it his fault? Had he done something to upset her? Vincent ended up following her.
Lucrecia had fled to her room, locking the door behind her. A stray tear rolled down her cheek. The bitter hurt and happiness that she saw on Vincent's face at the same time was too much for her to face. It was her fault, no one else's. She had done that to him. She knew from the start that it couldn't be, but still she asked him out on a walk around the town. Maybe she didn't expect Hojo to find out so quickly.
There was no doubt in her mind who she wanted now, only it couldn't be. She'd be risking both their lives if she kept seeing Vincent. Her own life she would gladly risk, but his as well? She couldn't do that. /If I love him enough, I'd let him go,/ she told herself. She couldn't do that though.
Lucrecia heard a light tap on the door. Frightened eyes looked up. Was it Hojo? Had he seen her nearly bump into Vincent?
"Lucrecia?" asked a soft voice. "It's me."
/Vincent.../ Lucrecia thought if she pretended not to be in the room he'd go away. that plan went to shot when she tripped up over a chair leg and fell in a heap on the floor. It was the final straw, she couldn't take anymore of it. A sob ripped through her throat. She tried to cover her mouth to stop it, but it was too late.
"Lucrecia?" the voice asked a little more worriedly this time. "Are you alright?"
Lucrecia swallowed the lump in her throat. As much as she wanted to open the door, she couldn't. She stared long and hard at the old wooden door, hoping Vincent would just give up and go. He didn't.
"If I did something to hurt you........... I'm sorry," he told her.
Lucrecia's eyes just shed more tears. How could he think it was his fault? Before she could stop herself she spoke. "You haven't d-done....... anything to h-hurt me," she managed to get out before another sob escaped her.
"What's wrong?" the soft, compassionate voice asked.
With all the will Lucrecia possessed, she stood up and walked slowly towards the door. Her hand came to rest on the door handle for a long time, debating whether or not to open it. She gave in and turned the handle. She turned her back on the door and walked over to the window, watching the bitterly cold winter winds blowing around the town.
"What's wrong?" Vincent asked again, standing just inside the doorway. She didn't turn around. She kept staring out the window, watching Hojo and a small group of Shinra blues head towards the prototype Reactor that had been built in the mountains. As soon as the scientists were out of sight, she turned to Vincent. Her cheeks were stained with tears, her eyes red raw from crying.
/You have to do this Lu,/ she told herself. /You can't put it off any longer, it'll only hurt more./ "I-I can't............. see you anymore," was all she said, her voice cracked towards the end of her sentence.
Vincent never said anything. He let his gaze turn to the floor. He didn't understand why she was telling him this, it was obvious she didn't want to. Then it came to him. /Hojo...../ "What has he said to you?" he asked, taking a step inside the room, shutting the door behind him.
Lucrecia nearly smiled wryly. Was she really that see-through? She wiped the back of her hand against her damp cheek. "I promised him," she eventually said.
"Promised him what?" Vincent asked. He wasn't about to give her up that easily.
"It's complicated," she told him, hoping he'd stop asking questions. He didn't ask her to explain, but the look he gave her was one of expectance, wanting her to carry on. She turned around again. "I don't want to explain," she said quietly.
Vincent closed the gap between the two and placed his left hand on her shoulder. "Just answer me one question" he spoke. Lucrecia turned around to face him again and nodded. "Do you want to see me anymore? Forget Hojo or what ever he said to make you like this," he said softly, moving a hand to cup her chin.
"Gods yes," she blurted out without giving it a second thought. She watched him as he smiled slightly. "I don't deserve you," she admitted.
Vincent's hand crept up to her cheek, wiping away the tear rolling down her cheek. "If anything I don't deserve you."
Another tear joined the first. It was all she was able to do lately, just cry. As if crying would make things better. She knew it wouldn't. "You don't know how wrong you are," she said in strangely calm voice, a voice that suggested that she wasn't crying at all, but the tears still fell.
"Someone as pretty as you shouldn't need to cry," Vincent told her tenderly.
Without another thought, Lucrecia blurted everything out to him. That Hojo had seen them the week before, about the project, about the fact that she was supposed to be bearing a child to be experimented on, that she had told Hojo she would never see Vincent again. When she had finished she couldn't look Vincent in the face. "That's why I've been avoiding you," she finished lamely.
Vincent gazed at her for what felt like an hour, but was mere minutes. He took in all the information she had told him. He blinked once then said; "Tell him no."
If only it was that easy. "I owe him for where I am today, I can't just say no," she said.
"You don't owe anyone anything. He's asking too much of you."
"What if this experiment changed the way we live? If I prevent that from happening I couldn't live with myself."
"What about the child? Is that a fair way to ask a child to be brought into the world?"
Gods, he was right wasn't he? "I wouldn't be able to stop here if I said no," she said in a whisper.
"Leave....... with me then."
She looked at him sharply. Did he just offer to leave with her? "With you?" she questioned.
"Yes. I'd do anything for you," he said in a serious tone.
She wanted to cry with happiness. He'd honestly do anything for her. She lifted a hand up to his face, tracing the outline of his lips. He let her. She inched closer and closer to his face. Her finger pulled away from his lips. She captured his lips with her own, one quick soft kiss at first, another followed. The next time she let her lips linger millimetres away from his. She seemed to hesitate for a few moments before kissing him again; a longer, more passionate kiss this time. It lasted for a few minutes before she pulled away, resting her forehead on his. She looked directly into his auburn eyes.
"You'd really leave with me?" she asked, hoping he still would.
"Yes," he answered, without a doubt in his mind. He went to pull away but she grabbed hold of his arm.
"Stay, for now." She didn't want to hold back any longer. She needed him and he needed her. Nothing else mattered right now.
He nodded. "Alright."
As soon as the word escaped his lips, Lucrecia moved closer to him again. Her lips assaulted his with a fiery passion. To them, no one existed at that moment but each other. His arms pulled her closer to him. She felt comfortable in his embrace, like nothing could hurt her while she was here. He wouldn't let anything hurt her. She pulled away slightly again, breathing a little heavier than before.
"I need you," she whispered.
Vincent looked at her with nothing but love in his eyes. He understood what she needed. She needed to be loved. Something Hojo would never give her. He never spoke. He leaned forward and placed a delicate kiss on Lucrecia's forehead. She smiled, understanding what that one simple gesture meant.
I love you, Vincent meant to say, but the words wouldn't come out. With one swift movement, he picked Lucrecia up, one arm under her legs the other around her lower back. He placed her lightly on her bed. She smiled with a slight blush, making Vincent crack a smile in return.
As Lucrecia kissed him again, only one thought entered her head. /I love him./
/I didn't think I could love her more than I did before, but last night proved me wrong. She is the most incredible woman I have ever met. She doesn't deserve for this to be happening to her. How can Hojo even think of experimenting on a child. I knew he had few morals, but I did not think even he would condescend this much.
If she wanted to escape from Nibelheim, from Shinra, from Hojo, I would take her. We talked about it long into the night. Where we would go, what we would do. She said she always liked Wutai. Wutai, I haven't been there in over twenty years. I told her we could go there. It'd be the last place Shinra would look.
I wonder just how peaceful our lives will be, what will we do away from Shinra's grasp. As long as she is happy I do not mind what happens./
"You're pregnant," Hojo said in a monotonous voice. He was actually excited though he wasn't showing it. Finally his experiment would begin.
Lucrecia looked up at him sharply from where she sat on the lab table. "What?"
"You heard me," Hojo said a little too sharply, even for him. "Looks as though the one time was enough."
Lucrecia allowed herself to shiver as soon as the Professor's back was turned. Pregnant? Already? It would make it even harder for Vincent and her to flee Nibelheim. Then it all hit her like a ton of bricks. Her gaze slowly went to Hojo, who was shaking a blood sample in a test tube. /It could be his or Vincent's,/ was the thought that entered her head. If Hojo worked out the exact date he would know.
She quickly excused herself and went off to find Vincent while Hojo was busy in the lab. She often did this and Hojo had never yet found out, even a month later.
Vincent was stood in his normal place, near the bottom of the stairs in the hallway. She quickly made her way to him and tugged his jacket sleeve. He turned around, giving her a brief smile that faded when he saw the worried look on his beloved's face.
"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.
"I'm.............." She stopped. She couldn't blurt it out in the middle of the hallway. She grabbed hold of the same jacket sleeve she had tugged on when greeting him and pulled him into one of the side rooms. She closed the door behind her, leaning on it. She took a deep breath. "I'm..... I'm pregnant."
Vincent was a little shell shocked for a few minutes. After a deafening silence, he spoke. "Is it...." he left the question floating in the air.
"I don't know," she admitted, "but he'll find out in less than a few weeks. If we are going to leave, we have to do it now." She was determined not to be stuck here and that fierce determination was the only thing driving her at the moment. Otherwise she'd be a crumpled up mess on the floor.
Vincent slowly nodded, taking a step towards her. She gladly stepped into his embrace. "I won't let anything happen to you," he whispered softly.
Unknown to them, Hojo was listening in the lab, a sardonic smile on his face. He slowly placed the blood sample back on the rack and stared at the receiver that was picking up their voices.
"Trying to escape are we?" He chuckled to himself. "Can't have you taking my precious experiment away, can we?"
The blood test would be ready in a matter of days. With that and the scans he would take of the embryo later on that day, he'd be able to tell if he was the father or not. No matter. The child would be his experiment whatever the outcome. He chuckled once again, turning off the receiver and going back to his work.
Lucrecia returned to the lab a few hours later. She hardly looked at Hojo as she went about her work. After being there a few minutes, she felt a presence behind her suddenly, nearly causing her to drop the beaker she was carrying. Hojo leaned over and whispered right next to her ear.
"I believe you were going to escape tonight," he said in a casual tone.
Her eyes widened in surprise. How had it worked it out? She cursed herself under her breath for not being careful enough. The other half of her shivering in the professor's presence. She carefully placed the beaker on the table in front of her before she dropped it.
"I heard you talking with the Turk earlier," he confirmed for her.
She swallowed sharply. "How?" she asked nervously.
"Him being a Turk you'd think he'd check a room for bugs," he said with a chuckle.
Lucrecia would have taken a step away from him if she had anywhere to step. He was stood so she was trapped against the table. She swallowed again.
"I can't allow you to escape with the experiment," he told her, his voice lacking the humour it was before.
"What are y-you going to d-do then?" she stuttered.
Hojo inched closer to her, if that was even possible. She could feel his breath against the side of her face. "You'd be easily tracked if you ran away. You never know what might happen to your Turk if you ran."
She felt like crying. So close but yet so far. She was so sure that they would escape and now Hojo had taken away her hope just like that. There was nothing she could do about it. Lucrecia knew that Hojo never made idle threats. "I'll stay," she whispered.
Hojo took a step away from her. "You stay in the room down here, wouldn't want you to run off in the night." With that he left her to carry on with his own work in the next room. As soon as he left, Lucrecia collapsed in a heap on the cold stone floor, silent tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Forgive me," she whispered to thin air.
Later that night, Vincent waited in the shadows for his love to come down the staircase so they could leave the loathsome mansion for another continent.
She never came.
Vincent had never felt so much hatred for a person in his life. The only reason that Vincent could think of for Lucrecia not appearing the night before was that Hojo had somehow found out her plan and intervened.
He had never gone to his usual post this morning, but straight to Lucrecia's room. The bed hadn't been slept in and her suitcase was still laying on the bed. Vincent clenched the fist of his left hand and stormed off.
This was so unlike him. Vincent never let anything get to him this much, but Hojo seemed to be one exception.
Within minutes he found himself stood in the lab, Hojo looking at him with malice in his eyes. Lucrecia was stood off to one side. Her heart jumped into her throat as she heard Vincent enter.
"What do you want Turk?" Hojo spat angrily.
Vincent didn't speak, he just kept his eyes on Hojo. His hatred for the man had driven him to come here but now he was here he didn't actually know what to say. One of the very few times Vincent was actually speechless.
"Surprised I found out about your little plan?" Hojo took a step towards the Turk. "No matter what you do, this child will be used for the Jenova project."
"I'm against it! Why experiment on humans!?" Vincent said, his voice slightly louder than normal.
"She and I are both scientists!!" Hojo spat back in return.
Vincent looked at Lucrecia, who shook her head in return. With a sigh, Vincent turned to leave. If this is what she really wanted, there was nothing he could do about it. He looked over his shoulder and gave Hojo one more look, then left the room.
Hojo spun around to look at Lucrecia. Within a few steps he was right next to her. He whispered in her ear; "Good girl." He then walked away.
Lucrecia had never felt more defeated in her life.
/I saw Lucrecia with Hojo today, walking around the town. I stayed hidden out of sight, watching them for some time.
She actually looked happy. Talking with him about something that I couldn't quite hear, probably about the project. She would smile in reply. You could tell she was pregnant now, the small bump just about showed through her dress. She still looked beautiful, if not more than before.
It broke my heart to see her with him, looking happy, getting on with her life. Even though it broke my heart, as long as she is happy, I don't mind./
All the proof he needed was on the computer screen in front of him. Hojo scowled at the date a little. It didn't match. The child couldn't be his. That only left one person's it could be. He deleted the date from the screen and replaced it with another date, one that did match.
What Lucrecia didn't know couldn't hurt her. No one else needed to know who the father was.
The baby would be due five months from now. He would need to start the Jenova injections soon. Hojo knew that there would be a good chance the mother wouldn't survive, but he'd sacrifice anything for the name of science. Creating a Cetra from a normal human being would be a break through in science.
He was willing to make every sacrifice it would take. Hojo chuckled a little. Just five months to wait.
Gast looked up from his work as Hojo chuckled. He couldn't help but wonder what Hojo was up to now. After all, he was always up to something. Hojo was always boasting about how his child was going to be used for the Jenova project. Gast had checked the corresponding dates, noticing they didn't match. The baby wasn't his after all and Gast had a pretty good idea who's it was.
Sure, Gast wanted the project to run smoothly, but Hojo had gone one step to far, like normal. Gast went back to mixing two chemicals in front of him. He'd have to find the Turk later.
Vincent was sat on a chair in the hallway of the mansion, reassembling his gun for the fifth time that day. He sharply clicked all the components back into place. Such sharpness wasn't really needed, a gun needed to be given slightly more care. Vincent knew this, but didn't care at the moment.
He was so lost in thought he never heard the person coming down the stairs until it spoke.
"Vincent?" the voice asked.
It knocked Vincent out of his thoughts rather quickly. He silently berated himself for not being more alert. He never turned around to the speaker. He knew who it was. Vincent waited for the man to speak.
"I found out something this morning that I think you should now," Professor Gast began.
"What is it?" Vincent asked in a toneless voice. The clicking of the parts being reattached became louder. Gast didn't speak until Vincent clicked the last piece into place.
"It's about Lucrecia," Gast told him.
Vincent clicked off the safety of the gun and pulled the trigger. The gun made a loud click since there were no bullet in the chamber. "What about her?" he asked in the same monotonous voice.
"Well more precisely about the child."
Vincent stopped fiddling with the gun. The hallway became deathly silent for a few seconds, before the sound of Vincent holstering his gun broke it. The Turk didn't speak, he waited for the Professor to explain whatever it was he was trying to say.
Gast looked at the man's back for a few moments. "The child............ it isn't Hojo's."
The words hit Vincent harder than bullets ever could. Isn't Hojo's? Then that would mean.....
"It isn't?" Vincent asked, a tiny bit of emotion crept into those words. Emotion that Vincent couldn't stop.
"No," Gast said. He took one backwards step up the stairs, still looking at the Turk. He honestly wondered if telling him had only made it worse. "I....." Gast began but then stopped, noticing Vincent probably wasn't even listening anymore. He left the man in peace.
Vincent took his gun out of it's holster once again, staring at it's black, sleek metal. Only to give himself something to do more than anything else. The child wasn't Hojo's. He didn't know if that fact was supposed to make him happy or livid. He felt muddled, like someone had mixed all his emotions up. After the muddled feeling went away, he just felt numb.
His child was going to be exposed to Jenova cells. His child was going to grow up as an experiment. Not Hojo's, his. Vincent was still staring at the gun. It would only take one bullet, wouldn't it? Just one to end Hojo's sorry, infuriating life.
Vincent stared at the gun for a long time after that.
Winter soon turned into spring, spring into early summer. Lucrecia had gone into labour that morning. Hojo was still in his lab making last minute preparation for the experiment. Vincent was sat in the hallway like most days.
Vincent could hear the screams coming from her room. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't block them out. He was sat in a daze for most of the day, ignoring anyone who tried to talk to him as if he couldn't hear them.
The last few months had passed Vincent by without him really realising it. He hadn't seen Lucrecia since that day in the lab. He missed her so much. He missed her smile, the way she could make him laugh, he just missed her.
He heard the screaming stop, replaced by a baby's cry. He snapped out of stupor and looked up the stairs. Sure enough, he saw Hojo slink out of his basement laboratory. A few minutes later, the professor crossed the top of the stairs again, a bundle in his arm. Hojo saw Vincent looking and sneered at him as he kept on walking.
Vincent didn't bother retorting, he just turned around to stare in front of him again. He felt numb. He wasn't angry or upset, just numb. He sat in a trance yet again, only to be broken by a nurse tapping him on the shoulder.
"You're Vincent aren't you?" she asked. Vincent didn't answer her, but the nurse gathered he was who she was looking for. "She's asking for you."
Vincent looked up at the young woman in front of him. "She is?" he asked wearily. It couldn't have been good, since the nurse had a grim look on her face. The nurse just nodded and began to walk away, gesturing for Vincent to follow her.
He did eventually follow her after debating it inside his head for a few minutes. Of course Hojo wouldn't be bothered about Lucrecia now she had given him his experiment. She needed someone to be there for her. It hadn't been her choice to stop seeing Vincent, so he couldn't hold it against her. He loved her too much to do that to her.
Vincent was shown to her room, even though he knew where it was off by heart. There Lucrecia lay. She was extremely pale, her breath still heavy from exhaustion. Her eyes were closed when he entered the room, but as soon as she heard someone enter, her eyes opened wearily.
"V-Vincent?" her voice cracked.
He stood there for a few minutes longer. The numbness faded away and what replaced it was hurt. It hurt so much to see her like this. She must have noticed this, because she tried to give him him a weak smile. Vincent slowly eased himself into the chairs beside her bed.
Lucrecia looked up at him. "I-I'm sorry," she told him, coughing after she had spoken.
Vincent took her hand and placed his lips on the back of it. "You've got nothing to be sorry for," he said softly.
Gods she had missed his voice, his presence. "I....... I k-know he's not Hojo's, Vincent," she coughed again. "That's why I'm sorry."
For some reason the only part Vincent picked out of the sentence was; "He?"
She offered another weak smile and a nod. "I called him Sephiroth. He looks so much like you."
Vincent leaned forward and placed a kiss on her clammy forehead, which was warm to the touch. He didn't speak. He kept hold of her hand the whole time.
"V-Vincent?" she asked, her voice a little strained. He again didn't speak, so she carried on. "The Jenova inside me.............. it's making me weaker."
/No!/ Vincent thought, /Not now I get to see you again./ He kissed the back of her hand again, not trusting his voice to speak without breaking.
"I'm g-glad I got to s-see you one more time," she told him softly.
"Don't talk like that," Vincent whispered.
Lucrecia cough again, harder and louder this time. Vincent held onto her hand tighter, making her smile. "can I ask y-you one thing?"
"Yes."
"If none of this had every happened, would you still run away to Wutai with me?"
"In a second," he told her.
"Thank you," she closed her eyes to sleep. Vincent sat there, still holding her hand as she slept. Her breathing was a little shaky, but she was still there. He let go of her hand slowly and stood up as quietly as he could. Once he was outside the room, he clenched his fists as tight as he could.
/Hojo, the bastard.../ Leaving that thought hanging, he ventured down into the basement lab, nothing but pure hatred running through his veins. Vincent stood just inside the laboratory, waiting for Hojo to stop fusing around the baby. While he waited, he took a glance at the child. He had bright green eyes. They blinked softly as the baby looked at Hojo, a look of wonder on his face. Tufts of really pale hair were already on his head. They looked silver from where Vincent was standing, he thought it was just the lighting in the basement.
Finally Hojo looked up, noticing the taller figure of Vincent stood a few feet in front of him. He sneered at him again. "What do you want?"
Vincent said something so softly Hojo struggled to hear it, but he did. "She's dying and all you can do is pamper your little experiment."
"I have no use for her anymore. Her bit is done." Hojo said with a gleeful smile, showing his teeth.
Vincent shook his head. "I thought even you would have some heart. Guess I was wrong."
"You don't know anything about me Valentine!" Hojo spat.
"True, but what I do know I don't like."
"Shut up," Hojo said in a deadly tone.
"I can't let you experiment on him Hojo." It was funny, the entire time Vincent wanted to raise his voice at the scientist, really shout at the man, but he found himself not doing so. He was just talking to him in an eerily calm voice. Maybe Vincent consciously knew it would have more effect on the Professor.
"Shut up," Hojo tried again, grabbing a fist full of his hair in frustration.
"I can't let you do it, for her sake." Vincent said.
"I said, shut up!" On the end of his tether, Hojo pulled the shiny black handgun from his pocket. He pointed directly at Vincent's stomach and pulled the trigger. The lab went deathly silent for a millisecond, broken with a grunt from Vincent as the bullet hit it's mark.
Vincent felt the sharp stab of pain as the bullet hit him. His strength left him all of a sudden, making him sink to his knees. He looked up at Hojo, who was smirking.
"Look who's going to be an experiment now Valentine," Hojo hissed.
Vincent passed out.
Everything was black. There was no distinctive shapes, no dim reflection, nothing. Just pitch black. Vincent felt strange. Even though he knew he shouldn't have any strength at all, at the moment he felt like he could run a mile, under four minutes without even breathing any heavier. He felt like he was floating in mid air, or maybe floating in a sea of black liquid.
You're not anywhere. You're asleep, a voice spoke to him.
Vincent couldn't find the source of the voice. It laughed at him.
You'll have trouble finding me, because I'm you.
"What?" Vincent asked.
I'm you, well I am now anyway. Call me a demon if you will.
"A demon?" Vincent asked, still confused over everything.
Hmmm, maybe I'll have to refresh your memory. You got hurt, probably shot, I dunno I'm guessing shot. Anyway that weird guy, I have no idea what his name is.
"You mean Hojo?"
Possibly. He injected me into you. Well me? I'm used to this swapping masters part, but you don't look to happy about this.
Vincent was still trying get his head around everything the voice was telling him. A demon? Injected into him?
Hey! Did I lose you or something?
"No," Vincent said. Was this his punishment for confronting Hojo like he had? Was he stuck with this demon forever?
Hmph, I'll leave you to figure out the rest. Then the voice was silent
Vincent felt himself waking up. He opened his eyes slightly finding himself in the laboratory still, but laying on the table in the center of the room. The lab itself was empty, even the baby was gone. He tried to push himself up, but found his left arm unusually heavy. He twisted himself so his legs were hanging over the side of the table and slowly glanced at his left arm.
It was encased in metal. It looked like brass, but was slightly lighter in colour, though it was a little too heavy to be brass. He found he was able to move the claw, a sign that his arm was under there somewhere. Hojo was a genius, but he was no electrician.
Vincent began to push himself off the table when he felt something. At first it felt like a tug, gradually getting stronger. It soon turned into something Vincent had never felt before in his life. It was like something was trying to get out from inside his body. It didn't take him long to figure it out.
/Is this the demon? Is this what it meant when it told me I'd figure out the rest?/ Vincent let out an inhuman growl that wasn't even his own voice. He watched as his skin began to turn purple, his whole shape began to change. The pain was almost unbearable, but then it stopped as soon as it came.
Vincent found he couldn't control his body any longer. As much as he tried, he couldn't even turn his head or move an arm. The creature that was him acted on it's own accord.
I told you you'd figure it out yourself, the voice spoke again. I'm you. And with that the creature began to rampage around the entire lab, pulling down bookshelves, overthrowing tables, breaking everything in sight. There was nothing Vincent could do about it.
"Worked a little better than I expected."
Vincent looked up wearily to see Hojo leaning over him. He tried to move, but couldn't even raise his arm. "What........ did you......... do to me?" he asked weakly.
"I implanted you with a demon, a demon that runs rampant whenever it gets the chance. And there's nothing you can do about it," Hojo laughed. "I can't exactly let you go, you'd be a danger to the entire world." Hojo bent down so he was at eye level with Vincent. "You're dead to the world Valentine. Dead to Shinra and dead to her."
"How...."
"If only you had kept your nose out hmm? Wonder what would have happened then?" Hojo motioned for the two guards that were stood behind him to pick the Turk up. Vincent hung limply in their arms, all his strength used up from transforming into that creature.
Just outside the lab, they came to another door. Hojo unlocked the door and stepped in, the rest following him. "Put him in the box over there." The guards did as they were told, putting Vincent in the only box in the room with no lid. They left soon afterwards. Hojo sneered at him once more. "In here you'll sleep so you think about what you've done for a long time Valentine. Sleep tight."
With that the lid of the box was closed. Vincent didn't have time to feel claustrophobic before he began to feel incredibly tired. He couldn't fight his eyes from closing. There he slept and kept sleeping for thirty years, until someone had the nerve to venture down into the basement laboratory in the Shinra Mansion, Nibelheim.
19th - 27th June